Tire center display apparatus

ABSTRACT

A sheet of plastic film having a message printed thereon is stretched across the center opening of two concentric rings. The sheet passes between the mating surfaces of the rings which are held in the opening in the center of a tire. The outer ring includes a flange that engages the exterior surface of the side wall of the tire, and the inner ring includes several lugs that engage the inner periphery of the wall. The mating surfaces of the rings are provided with recesses and projections that engage each other to hold the inner and outer rings together.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,707,789

Hart 1 51 Jan. 2, 1973 s41 TIRE CENTER DISPLAY APPARATUS 2,860,436 11/1958 Silver ..4o/129 B l t W'lli H t, k, N.Y. [75] men or l am S ar Commac Pnmary Examiner-Robert W. Michell [73] Assignee: Dinaco, Inc., New York, NY. Assistant Examiner-Wenceslao J. Contreras [22] Filed: Nov. 26 1971 Attorney-Robert A. Schroeder et a1.

[21] Appl. No.: 202,206 [57] ABSTRACT A sheet of plastic film having a message printed [52] U.S. Cl. ..40/125 M, 160/180 thereon is Stmtched across the center Opening of two [51] Int. Cl. ..G09f 1/00 concentric rings- The sheet Passes between the mating [58] Field of Search 160/180 378; 40/129 B 129 C surfaces of the rings which are held in the opening in 40/125 M 125 G the center of a tire. The outer ring includes a flange that engages the exterior surface of the side wall of the tire, and the inner ring includes several lugs that en- [56] References Cited gage the inner periphery of 'the wall. The mating sur- UNITED STATES PATENTS faces of the rings are provided with recesses and projections that engage each other to hold the inner and SPOQSWOOC B outer rings togethen 1,843,031 1/1932 Kistler ..40/l25 M 2,632,268 3/1953 Schroeder ..40/125 M 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 2 I973 INVENTOR. WILLIAM s. HART flaw; ATTORNEYS.

TIRE CENTER DISPLAY APPKRATUS' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 'ns invention re\ates to a dismay apparatus, and more particularly to a new and highly improved apparatus for displaying a message in the center of a tire.

It is recognized-by the advertising industry thatsome advertising messages, particularly messages relating to automobile tires, can be most" effectively presented if the message can be heldin the center of a tire so that the tire not only provides a supporting functionbut also contributes. to theappearance and visual effectiveness of the display. This arrangement has been found to be attention-getting as well as attractive. It conveniently directs the attention of the viewer to the tire which is, in most instances, thesubject of the displayed message.

Because tires are marketed at a large number of widely separated locations, such as gasoline and service stations, it is important that the message be held in the display position by an apparatus which is simple, very inexpensive, and easily packaged for shipping. It should be light in weight, long lasting, and easily assembled and disassembled by unskilled persons.

In the past, apparatus for holding a display in the center of a tire have, for the most part, consisted of relatively elaborate and complex structures made of wire that hold a rigid cardboard disk. The wire is relatively heavy, and therefore expensive to ship. It is easily bent out of shape and relatively expensive to manufacture. Moreover, the cardboard does not maintain an attractive appearance for the desired length of time. Accordingly, there is a recognized need for an improved apparatus to perform this task.

For a more complete understanding of the invention,

1 l l l s :Lk. in.

tion taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional exploded view of a display apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 assembled in combination with a tire; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmented cross-sectional view of the combination of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT An apparatus for supporting and displaying a flexible sheet of message bearing material across the opening in the center of a tire, includes, in the preferred form described here, two plastic rings 10 and 12. The inner ring 10 includes three lugs 14 extending at right angles from its lower edge 16. The outer ring 12 includes a flange 18 extending outwardly from its upper edge.

One of the rings 10 includes a plurality of ridge like projections 20 disposed about the surface of its outer periphery 22. The outer ring 12 includes a recess 24 disposed about its inner periphery 26.

When the apparatus is assembled, a thin flexible sheet of plastic film 28 having a message printed thereon is placed over the center opening of the inner ring 10. The outer ring 12, which is of slightly larger diameter than the inner ring 10, is then placed over the inner ring 10 and the flexible sheet 28. The projections 20 engage the recess 24 to form a means for holding the 

1. An apparatus for supporting and displaying a flexible sheet of message bearing material across the opening In the center of a tire comprising an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring including means extending from one edge thereof for engaging the inside of the inner periphery of the side wall of the tire, and means disposed about the outer periphery thereof for engaging the inner periphery of the outer ring, the outer ring being of larger diameter than the inner ring and including at least one projection extending from an edge thereof to engage the exterior surface of the side wall, and means disposed about the inner periphery of the outer ring for engaging the outer periphery of the inner ring.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner and outer rings are made of deformable plastic.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for engaging the inside of the inner periphery of the side wall comprises at least two lugs extending at right angles from the inner ring.
 4. An apparatus for supporting and displaying a flexible sheet of message bearing material across the opening in the center of a tire comprising an inner ring made of deformable plastic including means extending from one edge thereof for engaging the inside of the inner periphery of a side wall of the tire, an outer ring made of plastic, having a larger diameter than the inner ring and including a flange extending from one edge thereof to engage the exterior surface of a side wall of the tire, and means for holding the inner and outer rings in concentric engagement with each other.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means for holding the inner and outer rings in engagement with each other comprises at least one projection and at least one cooperating recess formed on the mating surfaces of the two rings, whereby the flexible sheet can be securely held stretched across the center of the rings with a portion of the sheet passing between the mating surfaces of the rings.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means for engaging the inside of the inner periphery of the side wall comprises at least two lugs extending at right angles from the inner ring.
 7. A display apparatus comprising a tire, a flexible sheet of plastic film having a message printed thereon, a plastic inner ring having at least three lugs extending from one edge thereof and engaging the inner periphery of a side wall of the tire, an outer plastic ring of larger diameter than the inner ring arranged in concentric relation with the inner ring having a flange extending from one edge thereof to engage the exterior surface of the side wall, and means for holding the mating surfaces of the inner and outer rings in engagement with each other, the sheet of flexible material being stretched across the center of the rings and passing between the mating surfaces of the rings. 